Without limiting the scope of the invention, its background is described in connection with integrated circuit packages, as an example.
Heretofore, in this field, integrated circuits have been formed on semiconductor wafers. The wafers are separated into individual chips and the individual chips are then handled and packaged. The packaging process is one of the most critical steps in the integrated circuit fabrication process, both from the point of view of cost and of reliability. Specifically, the packaging cost can easily exceed the cost of the integrated circuit chip, as the majority of device failures are packaging related.
The integrated circuit must be packaged in a suitable medium that will protect it in subsequent manufacturing steps and from the environment of its intended application. Wire bonding and encapsulation are the two main steps in the packaging process. Wire bonding connects the leads from the chip to the terminals of the package. The terminals allow the integrated circuit package to be connected to other components. Following wire bonding, encapsulation is employed to seal the surfaces from moisture and contamination and to protect the wire bonding and other components from corrosion and mechanical shock.
Conventionally, the packaging of integrated circuits has involved attaching an individual chip to a lead frame, where, following wire bonding and encapsulation, designated parts of the lead frame become the terminals of the package. The packaging of integrated circuits has also involved the placement of chips on a flexible board where, following adhesion of the chip to the surface of the flexible board and wire bonding, an encapsulant is placed over the chip and the adjacent flexible board to seal and protect the chip and other components.
Unfortunately, current methods for wire bonding and encapsulating silicon chips have led to various problems, including cracking between the encapsulation material, the wire bonding and the integrated circuit components, as well as high failure rates due to the multi-step nature of the process. Cracking has plagued the industry because of differences in the coefficient of thermal expansion of the different components, for example, between the interfaces of metallic and non-metallic components. Cracking is also frequent between the silicon wafer and the encapsulation materials, usually epoxies, due to the extreme variations in temperature in various environments and between periods of operation and non-operation.
Therefore, a need has arisen for electrical interconnections that overcome the problems associated with multiple wiring and bonding steps within integrated circuit packages as well as a process for electrically interconnecting integrated circuit packages. A need has also arisen for materials and methods that lead to increased yield by more closely matching the coefficient of thermal expansion of the materials used in the package. Furthermore, a need has arisen for an integrated circuit package that provides protection during subsequent manufacturing and testing steps and from the environment of its intended purpose.